


I Am Thou, Thou Art I

by KammieCeleek



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Assassination isn't that different, Based on Persona 5, F/M, Gen, Irina and Rio are sisters, M/M, Multi, Nagisa is a Phantom Thief God
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2020-10-17 07:22:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20617181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KammieCeleek/pseuds/KammieCeleek
Summary: Nagisa was forced to transfer to a school in Tokyo in accordance with his probation.As soon as he arrives, however, a strange app appears on his phone and he has an even stranger dream that night.  He is tasked with stealing the hearts of those who are full of evil as part of his rehabilitation, but he isn't alone.  He has a team of classmates behind him, as well as a strange creature by the name of Koro-sensei.  The mystery still looms over their heads, waiting to be solved...





	1. Heist Gone Wrong

Excited chatter filled the air of the casino.

People went about their business, talking and laughing as they bet their hard-earned cash on slot machines and cards and roulette. But among them, there were also those who were looking around for something. They were men in black suits and dark sunglasses, earpieces in their ears. The casino's bouncers. Obviously, something was wrong, but the drunken patrons didn't notice anything. As the bouncers scanned their surroundings, several blocked the door to prevent anyone from leaving the premises before the problem was resolved.

On a balcony, a single young man watched the goings-on.

_"Joker, are you there?"_

A hushed girl's voice came over his communicator.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's going on?"

_"They've blocked off the exits. You're going to have to get creative."_

_"Get going, dumbass!"_ chuckled a boy's voice. _"They're gonna getcha if you don't, and then what would people think of us?"_

"Right. Meet me at the rendezvous point. We'll leave from there."

_"You got it!"_ no less than eight other voices answered him.

With a smirk, he began to make his way through the inner halls of the casino. The young man known as Joker slipped by the guards, masking his presence with skill and grace acquired over the past several months. Upward he traveled through the halls until he reached another balcony. Behind him, there were yells as the guards approached, realizing where he was. For most, there would appear to be nowhere out. But not for _his_ people, and certainly not for Joker. The guards burst out of the door and all he did was smirk, leaping off the balcony and onto one of the chandeliers.

_"He's showing off again," _groaned another girl over the communicator.

_"He's __**allowed**__ to show off," _yet another girl shot back.

_"Will you all shut up before we get caught?!"_ hissed a boy.

Joker made his way across the complex grid of lights, chandeliers, and hanging art as the guards on the bottom yelled and tried to catch up with him. Patrons gasped, screaming in awe and horror. But Joker made it to the other side, giving one last smile to the guards before he jumped through the stained-glass window, colored shards of glass hitting the ground. He was out; he just needed to get to the others and get out of here before it was too late. Just another job, just another escape that they'd pull off and go back to their normal lives for a little longer. That was how it always worked, and it worked well. That was normal. That was good.

But this time wasn't normal.

On the ground, police were waiting for him. He covered his face. He had to get to the rendezvous. It was the only way out now. Joker ran and began to climb a ladder on the side of the building. But it was all in vain.

He was out in a matter of seconds.

* * *

"Get up."

He weakly opened his eyes to see empty syringes.

_They drugged me._

No wonder his thoughts—normally racing—were so groggy and unclear.

_This is bad. This is really bad._

_Where are the others? Was I the only one caught? How did they find me? What the hell is going—_

His thoughts were interrupted by a hard kick to his stomach. He gagged, trying not to puke as one of the uniformed men picked him up and practically threw him into a chair. A glare to that officer made the man back away a bit in fear.

"I'm not afraid of you, you brat!"

_Yeah, sure. That's why you backed away from me…_

"Enough." A man—obviously the Chief of Police—walked into the room. "I'll take it from here."

The other officers walked away and he vaguely heard the door closing behind them. His thoughts were still blurry, and the sound was unclear. He looked at the Chief, who had a clipboard in his hands as he read off it.

"Nagisa Shiota. A student at Kunugigaoka High. Never imagined that the nefarious leader of the Phantom Thieves was just a kid."

He said nothing, struggling not to vomit still from the drugs and the kick to his gut. The Chief looked uncaring as he set the clipboard in front of Nagisa.

"This is a full confession of everything your group has done. Sign it, and we'll take you into custody. You really might as well do it. After all, we have the others already."

Nagisa narrowed his eyes, using energy to focus his brain enough to read the mood of the Chief. It was a lie, plain and simple. He was the only one who'd been caught. Karma, Kayano, Nakamura, Ritsu, Koro-sensei, Sugino, Okuda, and Asano were safe. They'd escaped safely and they were waiting for him to give an update.

"You're lying."

"What?"

"None of the others are here. You're lying. I'm the only one you captured."

"Huh. Guess you're pretty sharp, for a low-born thief. But… it's still in your best interest to tell us everything. And sign this confession. After all, you _are_ in violation of your probation. Or did you forget about that with all the _illegal acts_ you've pulled since April?"

Nagisa felt his head clearing slightly, but not by much.

Outside the room, a beautiful blonde woman approached the guard. She carried a briefcase and narrowed her eyes. He scoffed.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't let you in."

"Please, I need to speak with the suspect. It's part of an ongoing investigation that my office is handling."

"Could I get your name them?"

"My name is Irina Jelavić. I'm a prosecutor for the district." As if to prove it, she pulled a certificate out of her briefcase. "Now, it would be in your best interest to allow me to question the suspect you have in custody. If you could…?" She batted her eyelashes and the man took a deep breath.

"R-right away, Miss Jelavić!" He dashed into the room and she sighed. Her phone went off.

"Hello?"

_"Irina, I warned you to stop this."_

"Sir, with all due respect, this was _my_ case to begin with. And I will be the one to finish this. I know there's more to it than originally thought and I need to know what it is."

_"…I just wanted to say be careful. We know very little about what's going on and any suspect connected with the case is going to be dangerous."_

"I know, sir. I know what I'm doing."

The guard came back out with the chief, who eyed Irina with an approving eye.

"We were only going to give you a few minutes, but please, take all the time you need."

"Thank you, sir. I'll only need half an hour at the most."

Irina walked into the interrogation room and quietly closed the door behind her. Turning around, she was shocked to see one of Rio's friends in the chair. Specifically, Nagisa Shiota, the boy who was often confused for a girl. He was one of the least-threatening members of her adopted sister's little group.

_He's the suspect…_

Her eyes went to the floor, where empty syringes—most likely from some kind of sleeping agent—laid scattered about. Small puncture wounds were on Nagisa's neck. Immediately, she felt angry.

_That's _ _ **beyond** _ _ overkill. He's small for his age. This much might've killed him._

"Nagisa."

He refused to look at her.

"Fine. I need to talk to you and the police have given me as much time as I require. We can be here all night. You just need to tell me everything and I _might_ help you out… if I believe you."

"Why would you?"

His voice was breaking.

"Nobody would believe this. Not what we've been doing or why we've been doing it, or even that we're not murderers. We're not, really."

"All right then. Here's why. I've seen you the past several months, and I don't think you're the type to make up an entire story on the spot. So how about you cooperate and make things easier on yourself?

"Fine."

A familiar voice filled his ears.

_"I am thou. Thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Judgement Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that should lead to freedom and new power…"_

A jingle rang in his ears. Invisible to Irina, a butterfly flitted through the room and rested on Nagisa's shoulder.

_"…you are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…"_

_I don't see how._

_"…I beg you, please overcome this game…and save the world… The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds—the truth that you and your friends grasped. It all began that day… when the game was started half a year ago… For the sake of your world's future… as well as your own… you must remember…"_

The butterfly once again took to the air and Nagisa felt his mind clearing more. Irina was now a Confidant. She could be somewhat trusted. She deserved to know the truth, especially since she was Nakamura's older sister. But the question was how to begin.

_The app._

"It started with my arrest."

"Your arrest?"

"It's why I was shipped here in the first place. A woman was being assaulted by a man on the street, screaming and begging for help. So I stepped in."

_"YOU BRAT! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"_

"I got him off her, but he stumbled off the sidewalk and fell, hitting his head in the process. When the police got there, he claimed I'd attacked him. And they took me into custody. The woman disappeared; she didn't even show up at my trial. I don't know what happened to her. But the court had me brought here to Shibuya, where I was to live with a designated guardian for the next year as part of my probation. The day I arrived in Shibuya… that's when it started."

"How?"

"With an app on my phone—an app that had an icon of a mysterious eye…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this marks my first Assassination Classroom fic! I based it off Persona 5, which is a game I happen to love. Plus, I low-key wanted to make Nagisa Joker because NAGISA IS AN ASSASSIN GOD AND HE WOULD MAKE THE BEST FUCKING PHANTOM THIEF I SWEAR. Plus, you know, other choices will be made more obvious along the way.
> 
> You also may be wondering about my choice of making Irina Sae when Aguri and Kaede are actually related. And that's simply because Irina's personality matches that of Sae much better than Aguri. Plus… I didn't want to make things awkward for Koro-sensei…
> 
> See you next time!
> 
> So long and thanks for all the fish!


	2. Starting Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me yesterday: I'm going to write this random little story for a fandom that I haven't written for before based on something that is beloved. I don't think anybody's going to read it but hey, I can get it out there.
> 
> Me today: WTF WHERE ARE YOU ALL COMING FROM
> 
> In all seriousness, I'm happy that this story has garnered support already. It's always a gamble for me to upload anything and to see overwhelmingly positive reactions to this so early in the game makes me glad that I took the time to write this.

Shibuya was as busy as he'd expected.

Nobody paid any attention to Nagisa as he pulled out his phone outside the train station. He was supposed to meet his temporary guardian for the next year, but the man was nowhere to be seen. Maybe there was a message…?

Instead, there was a red app on his phone—a red app with a black pattern and a mysterious eye staring at him. His phone started to glitch out.

_It's just a virus._

Nagisa deleted the app and then double-checked the address of Karasuma's home. The backstreets of Shibuya, apparently. He began walking, quickly finding his way to the quieter streets that seemed far away from the hustle and bustle he'd just left. However, it seemed difficult to navigate—especially since Nagisa didn't know his way around the area yet. He let out a groan and slumped against a wall, running a hand through his long hair that was tied in a ponytail. This year of probation was off to a fantastic start…

"You okay, kid?" asked a voice. He turned to see an older man carrying shopping bags.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to find… 'Tadaomi Karasuma'. I'm supposed to be living with him?"

"Go up a couple blocks and turn right. He's at his café now—Café Noir. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, sir!" Nagisa bowed politely and the old man laughed.

"Funny—Karasuma said you got in some trouble back home. But you don't look like a troublemaker, young lady."

"I-I'm a boy, sir…"

"What's with the long hair, then?"

"My mother…" Nagisa's voice trailed off and the man sighed.

"Well, can't go against the mother. Good luck, kid."

The younger man headed in the direction the helpful old man had indicated, finding the café without much of a problem. Inside, a serious-looking man stood behind the counter while a TV news station talked about mental shutdowns in the area. An older couple sat at a booth in the corner.

"Such a shame, what this city has come to," the woman stated. "Don't you agree, Tadaomi?"

"It's a damn shame, Mrs. Miyashita."

"You be careful with that delinquent young man coming here," the man snorted. "Why you agreed to take him in I'll never understand."

"Um…" Nagisa spoke up. "Are you Tadaomi Karasuma?"

"I am. You must be Nagisa."

"And there's the delinquent now," the man sighed. "Long hair and all…"

"With all due respect, sir," Nagisa replied, bowing, "I only keep my hair long because my mother won't allow me to cut it. I would love to have it shorter."

"Oh. Hm… you don't seem like a violent young man. I wish you the best of luck."

"I'll show you where you'll be staying," Karasuma stated. "Follow me."

Nagisa followed his temporary guardian up the stairs at the back of the café to a room that was dusty, full of boxes covered by tarps and with a single small bed in the corner. It certainly wasn't what Nagisa had expected, but it was better than prison by a long shot.

"This is your room. I didn't have time to clean it up, so you'll have to do it yourself. Tomorrow I'll be bringing you down to Kunugigaoka High to officially register for classes. I'll leave you alone for now."

"Mr. Karasuma, sir?"

"What is it?"

"Thank you for taking me in. I… I really appreciate it. My own mother doesn't even want to look at me right now, but…"

"Look, I don't think you meant to hurt anybody in the incident. But it happened, and you seem like a good kid. Don't cause too much trouble and we won't have a problem. I lock up at nine, so don't be out too late. And I might ask you to work in the café from time to time, so expect that."

"Yes, sir."

"Go ahead and get settled."

Nagisa got to work and began to tidy up his attic room. It was a bit more spacious than his room back home, which was in an apartment. Cleaning it up gave him a sense of balance and peace that he hadn't felt since New Year's. He was going to make a fresh start, a new beginning at Kunugigaoka that was impossible at home. And, best of all, his mother wasn't there. She wouldn't nag him about his grades or force him to wear his hair long. He'd keep it long, of course; he was used to it and he didn't want to make his mother angrier than she already was by disobeying her. But this was his change. Nobody at school knew what had happened.

He was starting over.

* * *

_"Get up, inmate!"_

_A rattle and thud met his ears and Nagisa sat up. There were chains attached to his ankles and he wore an old-timey prison outfit—like the kind worn in movies with black and white stripes._

_"I said, get up!"_

_Nagisa got off the bed and realized he was in a prison cell. Standing outside his room were two little girls, mirrors of each other wearing guard uniforms. One had a patch over her left eye and the other her right. Their hair was pink, one with her long hair in a braid and the letters 'OYOO' on her hat and the other with hers in buns. The letters on her hat were 'XMRN'. She banged her nightstick against the bars again._

_"The master wishes to speak with you," said the one with a braid._

_"Now, girls," a deep voice chuckled. "Is that any way to treat your inmate?"_

_His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he saw a man sitting at the desk in the middle of the room. The man was wearing some kind of white robes that obscured his face in such a way that Nagisa couldn't make out anything about him. A shudder ran down his spine._

_"Straighten up!" ordered the girl with hair buns, striking the bars again._

_"Nagisa Shiota… how unfair life has been to you," the man began. "Born to a mother who wanted a daughter, forced to act the part… but I have an offer for you."_

_"Who are you? And what kind of offer?"_

_"Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Shiro. I am the master of this place, the Velvet Room. It takes the form of the heart of its user. And since you are the user… it seems very interesting that your heart is imprisoned. Or perhaps it's just because you've always been imprisoned in one way or another."_

_"You said something about an offer."_

_"My offer is simply rehabilitation. A way out of your heart's prison. Should you choose to accept, the path will be long and difficult but you will be free."_

_"And if I refuse?"_

_"Then you'll continue on your current path. But I will warn you: you may not find the outcome… favorable." He nodded to the two girls. "This is Kagura and Kaguya. They are your wardens and will handle the finer points of your rehabilitation. Now, go to sleep. You have a long day tomorrow…"_

_"You heard him!" Kagura yelled. "Go to sleep, inmate!"_

_"Please," added Kaguya._

* * *

Nagisa gasped as he woke up and looked around. He stared at his hands in disbelief.

_I'm in the attic… it was just a dream…_

His phone buzzed and he spotted the strange eye-app again. Frustrated that it had reinstalled itself, he once again deleted it and got out of bed to get ready for the day. After all, he was registering for school. His fresh start.

_Then why do I get the feeling this is all going wrong…?_

At the school, he was assigned to the class of Aguri Yukimura, a cheerful woman who seemed to have no problem with Nagisa's record. The principal, Mr. Asano, did. He made that clear as he told Karasuma the expectations for Nagisa's behavior at Kunugigaoka High. Once said and done, Karasuma and Nagisa headed to the car and back to the café. Traffic was bad, so it took longer than either of them had really expected… or wanted, really.

The next morning, however, Nagisa set out for school on the train instead. It was still a bit of a walk from the station to Kunugigaoka, though. He simply chugged along at his own pace as rain began to pour. Nagisa slid into an entryway to take shelter for a moment just as a girl wearing a hoodie ran up and did the same. She sighed, pulling her hood back to reveal she was very pretty, with green hair tied in pigtails and golden eyes. Nagisa could feel the frustration coming off her in waves—his skill of reading moods came in handy.

As they stood there, however, a car pulled up and the window rolled down to reveal a man wearing some kind of athletic gear. He smiled at the girl next to Nagisa.

"You need a ride?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks!" she replied, getting into the car. The man glanced at Nagisa.

"What about you?"

"Uh… no thanks," Nagisa replied. "I can walk."

"Suit yourself." The window rolled up and the car pulled away.

"Crap. Old pervert…" a voice muttered. Nagisa turned to see a boy in the Kunugigaoka uniform with bright red hair and golden eyes.

"Hey," Nagisa greeted him. "Who was that?"

"That was Yanigasawa, all-mighty coach of volleyball at Kunugigaoka," the boy replied. "His word is law around here because he's some big-shot athlete or something. I don't really know or care."

Nagisa's phone buzzed again as the two set out.

"C'mon, I know a shortcut."

As Nagisa followed his new companion, he checked his phone. That app was there again, staring at him with the red-and-black pattern that felt so eerie to him. This was the third time it had appeared and Nagisa tapped it to open.

_Might as well see what it is. I'm gonna be so pissed if it breaks my phone…_

_'Please enter destination'._

That was the message that greeted him upon opening the app.

"So, what's up with Yanigasawa?" Nagisa asked.

"Oh, like I said, he's the volleyball coach here. He was an Olympic medalist or some shit like that like, _years_ ago. Doesn't seem to matter. Yanigasawa is the king of the castle that is Kunugigaoka High!"

_"DESTINATION ACCEPTED. BEGINNING NAVIGATION."_

The voice came out of Nagisa's phone and the blue-haired boy almost dropped it as the world around them began to ripple and warp. Red-head looked confused as everything distorted.

"That's… uh, okay… what the hell just happened?"

"I… don't know."

"We'd better get going. Come on. I hate skipping but the bastard saw me. I have two strikes left before I get expelled."

Nagisa and the boy ran for the building… which wasn't the illustrious school it had been the day before. Instead, it was a full-on medieval castle. The redhead looked flabbergasted by the change, but his face soon turned back to its seemingly-normal 'I-don't-give-a-fuck' expression.

"That's unusual. Guess they decided to upgrade. Let's get inside."

The entire place felt off as they crossed the drawbridge and entered the castle. Armed guards waited in the entryway and the redhead groaned. Nagisa, on the other hand, backed away. His instincts told him they were hostile enemies… and more importantly, _not human_.

"Great. Upperclassmen messing with us. Listen guys, whatever production you're putting on, I get it. You're scary guards."

_"You dare enter the realm of King Kotaro?"_ one of the guards hissed, his voice doubling.

_"You must be punished for your insolence!"_

They grabbed at the redhead, who evaded and kicked one of them in the head before rushing for the stairs. He glanced back at Nagisa, who was running after him.

"Okay. So we're not at the school! But this _should_ be the school!"

More guards ambushed them at the top of the stairs and the red-haired boy was knocked unconscious. Nagisa was simply grabbed and the two of them were taken to a dungeon cell. His companion woke up not long after.

"Ugh, okay. This has got to be the fourth-weirdest dream I've ever had. Where even are we?"

"I don't know," Nagisa replied honestly. "Hey, we don't even know each other's names!"

"Karma Akabane. ¿Y tú?"

"What language is that?"

"Spanish. Picked up a word or two. Now, what's your name?"

"Nagisa Shiota."

"Shiota… holy shit, you're the transfer student with a criminal record that's already more badass than mine."

"What?! How do you…?"

"Everyone's been talking about it. How you assaulted an adult and put him in the hospital. Everyone's wondering if you'll do it again. I _want_ to see you do it again…"

_"Well, Karma Akabane, I should've guessed it was you,"_ a voice sneered from the shadows. They looked to see…

Yanigasawa, wearing a crown, a sparkly pink king's cape with a white fur trim, and pink underwear.

_And nothing else under the cape. Ew._

_"And who's this? The new transfer student…? You'd best not have been telling lies about me…"_

"Screw off, you moron."

_"What did you say?"_

"I said you're a moron. Or do you want me to clean out your ears for you… _sir_?"

_"That's it. Your execution will be first!"_

The guards rushed into the cell, grabbing Karma and holding him so he couldn't fight back or escape. Nagisa stared in horror, the perverted teacher's attention turning to him instead.

_"You'll be next, young man. This is what happens to those who defy the king!"_

_No. No, this can't be happening… no!_

_I can't… I can't do anything…_

_I'm helpless…_

_ **"What's the matter…? Are you simply going to watch?"** _

Nagisa snapped his head up.

_Who… who said that?!_

_**"Are you forsaking him to save yourself? Death awaits him if you do nothing." **_Nagisa's eyes went to Karma, who was glaring at the guards with defiance in his gaze as they readied the blade.

_But last time I interfered…_

_ **"Was your previous decision a mistake, then?"** _

_No. Never._

_ **"Very well, then. Vow to me."** _

Shaking, Nagisa got to his feet. The others in the cell looked at him. A white half-mask had appeared on his face, covering the top half and leaving his mouth clear. Black triangles decorated it around the eyes, giving him the appearance of danger and intrigue.

_ **"I am thou, thou art I... Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"** _

He let out a scream as he gripped the mask and ripped it off his face, blood spurting… but then he let out one more yell.

_"ARSÉNE!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where I'll end today's chapter.
> 
> EDIT: Kayano and Rio have once again swapped places. Kayano is back to playing Ann after further consideration and Rio Nakamura is Makoto.
> 
> I was going to make up my own Personas for this story, then decided nah. I don't have time. So I'm sticking with the ones from canon. Hope you don't mind.
> 
> Next time: Koro-sensei and escaping the Palace.
> 
> So long and thanks for all the fish!


	3. Captain Kidd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, it's time to do something I was planning to do: answer comments! This will happen every time I feel I've gotten enough comments to warrant answering them here. The ones I reply to in the notes will be the comments from Fanfiction, since AO3 allows for me to reply to them on the site and Fanfiction is far more finicky than that.
> 
> First, let's start with AcTheFilfthyOne: most of my castings were made with specific personalities in mind. I believe there was only one casting I made without that, and that was casting Sugino as Yusuke. This was because I really wanted to put Sugino into the story and it was either going to be him or Isogai. Isogai… is Mishima. Just going to say that right out. And… I ship that, too.
> 
> Next is fangs of death: thank you. You… didn't say much, so there's not much of a reply.
> 
> Third up is Turtle, a guest: thanks to you, too.
> 
> And finally, we have G, also a guest: I completely understand what you're saying. However, I think my story is set apart from both of the plotlines due to me staying more true to the personalities from Assassination Classroom than Persona 5. And Irina was actually my best choice for Sae. Sae is incredibly manipulative and smart, and—not to offend her—Aguri just doesn't fit those same characteristics. She's too kind and caring and scatter-brained to fit the cutthroat prosecutor that is Sae Nijima. Irina is able to be that cutthroat person.
> 
> Remember: the more comments I get, the more replies I'll make.

For a moment nobody said anything.

Nagisa stood there before a regal-looking figure of blue. The figure tipped its hat and smirked alongside Nagisa as it took shape, becoming something in red and dark gray armor and wings. In one quick move, the blue-haired boy swept out his hands and the figure flapped its wings, sending the guards sprawling. Karma was against the wall, staring in shock at his companion. Nagisa's school uniform was gone, replace by a black trench coat and a black body-suit well-suited for infiltration. Adding to the effect were a pair of red gloves and black boots. His hair was also up in what appeared to be a pair of pigtails instead of a ponytail, which honestly suited him better.

"W-what the…?" Karma hissed.

_**"I am the pillager of twilight—Arséne!"**_ the flame figure called out.

"Again, what the hell…?"

_**"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you,"**_ Arséne stated, addressing Nagisa. _**"If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."**_

"Give me your power," Nagisa replied, narrowing his eyes.

_ **"Hmph. Very well…"** _

"W-who the hell are you?!" demanded Yanagisawa. "GUARDS!"

The two guards staggered to their feet and transformed into beings akin to jack-o-lanterns. Arséne and Nagisa nodded to each other and the latter signaled to attack the enemies. Within a couple of hits, they were down and Yanagisawa stared at Nagisa in horror, backing away slightly and taking his gaze off Karma. In a single move, the boy body-slammed Yanagisawa and grabbed the keys as he and Nagisa ran out of the cell, locking the 'king' inside.

"That should do it," Karma panted as they ran from the area. They finally stopped in a seemingly abandoned spot to catch a breath.

"Whoa… please tell me this is a dream," Nagisa begged.

"If it is, then I really hope we wake up soon." Karma tilted his head. "Uh, what's with the outfit?"

Nagisa glanced down at his clothes and looked completely shocked.

"What the—when did I change?! And… wait a sec, is my hair _shorter_?!" His hands flew to his head.

"You changed when you called on that flame guy—Arséne, I think his name was. And you took down those assholes without a problem."

Suddenly, Nagisa changed back and Karma actually looked disappointed.

"Shame. You looked like a grade-A badass in that outfit. Like you might actually be dangerous like the rumors say."

"I can tell you right now, it wasn't anything like you're thinking. I got screwed over."

"Well, we'd better find a way out. Yukimura will have my head if I'm late again."

"She seems too nice for that."

"She is, but she'll hit me with a speech about how I have so much potential and that I only need to do my best and that she's disappointed I'm not taking my future seriously… it's a guilt-trip. So let's get going."

They navigated the dungeon as best as possible. Several people were being kept in cages, none of them answering when Karma called to them. Eventually, they came to a raised drawbridge next to a statue of Yanagisawa in his kingly regalia. But… there didn't seem to be a mechanism to lower said bridge in a way that would allow them to cross. Karma sighed and started looking around.

"Hey! You!"

A new voice suddenly sounded near them.

"You. Red. Ponytail. Come here!"

They followed the voice to find a yellow octopus-like creature sitting in a cell.

"An octopus…?" Karma mused, tilting his head.

"Please, let me out!"

"Hm… why should we? You could be one of _them_."

"I assure you I am not. Why would I be locked up here otherwise?" He pointed. "Look, the key's right there. Help me out and I'll show you how to get out of here."

Nagisa took the key and opened the door to the cell.

"Thanks, Ponytail!"

"You're welcome. And it's Nagisa, not Ponytail."

"Oh. Well, then, thank you kindly, Nagisa. My name is Koro-sensei."

"And I'm Karma. Now, can we get going? I can fight but those things are beyond even my league."

"All right then! Follow me!"

The two young men followed Koro-sensei back to the drawbridge, where he motioned to the statue.

"Look around its mouth."

Nagisa pulled on the jaw of the statue. It was loose and easily slid down… lowering the bridge in the process. The three of them ran across, where Koro-sensei led them to a hallway. Before they could go anywhere else, two guards ran from the shadows.

"Crap!" yelped Karma.

"I've got this, boys! ZORRO!" yelled Koro-sensei.

A muscle-bound, armor-clad being wielding a sword appeared in flame, much like Arséne had before. Nagisa looked surprised, as did Karma.

"_He_ can have one of those things, too?!"

"If one of you could help me, I'd greatly appreciate it," Koro-sensei told the two.

"Got it!" Nagisa switched back into his costume, Arséne making his reappearance as he and Koro-sensei prepared for battle.

Needless to say, the fight went quickly and Koro-sensei led them to a ventilation shaft they could use to leave. Which they did… only to find out that they'd missed the entire school day. Yanagisawa was waiting at the door with Principal Asano and Yukimura, both of whom looked displeased with the two boys. With the principal, it was more of a 'I should've expected this'. And for Yukimura, it seemed more 'I expected better and you can try again tomorrow'.

* * *

The next day, however, rumors were whispered all around Nagisa as he walked through the halls. Karma was in a different class, it turned out, and he had Yukimura for a different subject than Nagisa. Even in his homeroom, Nagisa could hear the others hissing about his crime, the noise swirling through the air as he approached his seat behind the green-haired girl from the day before.

_"Lies…"_ she muttered, glaring at the other students.

_At least you don't think I'm a criminal…_

It was hard to pay attention in class with all the whispers and rumors flying around, but at long last, the day ended and Nagisa packed up his bag, heading into the hallway where he found the girl in a conversation with Yanagisawa.

"Hey, Kayano," Yanigasawa greeted her. "How's it going?"

"It's going well. Thanks…"

"Don't push yourself too hard. Remember to relax." He smiled—a smile that made Nagisa a little sick. "I guess it's my fault for keeping your best friend at practice all the time. What do you say you come over to my place and we can talk it out?"

"No thank you. I'm busy this afternoon—special audition, you know."

"Okay, then."

_Am I crazy or is Yanigasawa glaring at her…?_

"Oh, and one more piece of advice: stay away from that transfer student. He's nothing but trouble."

_I'm right here, asshat._

"You don't need to worry."

_Thanks…_

"Hey, Nagisa!"

The boy in question turned around to see Karma approaching.

"I see you went with the pigtails today, like you did at the castle."

"Yeah. I thought it might be more manageable than my normal ponytail. What's up?"

"Come on."

They headed outside the school gate, where Karma checked to make sure nobody was listening in. Then he nodded.

"Okay, we're going back."

"What?!"

"Let's go back to the castle—just to make sure what we saw yesterday was really… real. If we can get back there, then…"

"But we don't even know how we got there in the first place!"

"True. Hm…" Karma snapped his fingers. "What about your phone?"

"My phone?"

"Yeah. I heard some navigation app talking right before we got there on your phone."

Nagisa suddenly remembered the app. The eye… that was what had brought them to the castle if Karma was right. And it would bring them back, too. He pulled out his phone and tapped the icon. In response, Karma snatched the phone from him and checked it.

"Yep, I was right. There's even your search history. 'Yanigasawa, Kunugigaoka, castle'."

The world around them began to ripple and distort as they struggled to keep their balance in the changing environment. When they finally regained their senses, they were back in front of the castle instead of the school. Karma smirked.

"Here we are. And you're a badass again." Nagisa glanced at his clothes.

"I didn't expect you two back here," said a voice. They saw Koro-sensei making his way towards them. "Interesting…"

"Listen, we wanna figure out what's going on here."

"You're in a Palace."

"A what?"

"A physical manifestation of one's deepest—and often darkest—desires. That's what this place is."

"Damn pervert…"

They once again went into the place, Koro-sensei and Nagisa leading the charge inside. Karma found himself unable to do anything as they were faced with Yanigasawa and his army of Shadows. And… Kayano in a bikini and tiara?

"What's Kayano doing here?" hissed Karma.

"That's not really her," Koro-sensei corrected. "That's how Yanigasawa sees her in his mind. The Palace is all about cognition and one's desires. After all, the mind is a powerful thing. Are you ready, Nagisa?"

"Right!"

The Shadows were much more powerful than they expected, however, and soon both Nagisa and Koro-sensei were brought to their knees. Karma felt his anger bubbling just beneath the surface as he watched Nagisa be crushed underneath the heel of one of the Shadows.

"Stop this!" he yelled.

_"Oh, Akabane… you fool. The traitor at his finest…"_

"Traitor?" repeated Nagisa in confusion.

_"You don't know? Well, this foolish boy was once the star of the martial arts club… before he acted selfishly and ended his teammates' dreams. And after all the kindness I did in supervising practice…"_

"That wasn't supervising! It was _physical abuse_!" snapped Karma.

_"Such attitude."_

"And now it's gone… because of you!"

_"If only your coach hadn't spoken up against me—perhaps I would've only settled for breaking his star's leg instead of disbanding that eyesore entirely."_

Nagisa noticed that Karma's hand twitched towards his left leg. That was when it clicked; _Karma_ had been the star. Yanigasawa had broken his leg. Karma's grudge against Yanigasawa wasn't just because he didn't like the man. It was because he had been _abused_ by him.

"Karma! Don't give in!" Nagisa yelled. "Don't let him win!"

"Oh, I'm not planning to. We have a score to settle, after all. I'm not giving in no matter what!"

Karma could hear his heartbeat in his ears as a splitting pain cut across his forehead. He yelped, clutching his head in pain as he tried to stay upright and a voice began to speak in his ears.

_ **"You made me wait quite a while. You seek power, correct?"** _

_Yeah, so I can take down this bastard and others like him._

_ **"Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc…? The other 'you' who exists within desires it thus…"** _

_Hell yes._

"AUGH!" Karma continued to scream in pain, clutching his face near the forehead.

_ **"I am thou, thou art I… There is no turning back! The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!"** _

Karma looked up, his face half-covered by a dark gray skull mask. Just like Nagisa had the day before, he gripped the edge and ripped it off his face in a single move. Blood spattered onto the floor and evaporated as he erupted into blue flame. A pirate riding a ship like a skateboard appeared behind him, brandishing a cutlass and gnashing his teeth. Karma himself had transformed into a leather outfit with a red scarf that screamed 'rebellious pirate'.

"I know you've got my back from now on… Captain Kidd!"

"Two humans who can summon Personas…?" whispered Koro-sensei in shock and awe.

With the added strength of Karma and Captain Kidd, they were easily able to beat back the Shadows and get to a safe spot, where Karma took notice of his transformation.

"Hell yes! Now I'm like you, Nagisa."

"Great…"

"So, now that we can both fight, mind explaining a bit more about what this place is exactly?" Koro-sensei nodded.

"It's a Palace. Like I said earlier, they're the cognitive manifestations of a person's deepest and often darkest desires. Not everybody has one; I've found that only the deplorable depths of humanity tend to have their own Palaces. And based on that Nakamura girl… I'd say that Yanigasawa has lust as his deepest and darkest desire."

"Dammit! Then…"

"As long as the Palace exists, the person will continue on their path of darkness."

"So how do we get rid of it?" Nagisa spoke up.

"We steal the Palace's treasure—the source of the ruler's desires."

"Ooh, I'm up for this!" Karma stated excitedly. "Anything to stick it to that rat bastard!"

"Very well, then. We'd best leave for now, though. The security will be heightened the further we go in and I need to teach you two a bit more about fighting."

Before they could escape, however, there were Shadows. Using their attacks together, the three of them managed to knock the beguiling female Shadow down and Nagisa pointed the gun his outfit had come with at the being.

_"Wait!" _the girl begged. _"Please, spare me!"_

"When you knock down a Shadow, you can ask them for money or items," Koro-sensei explained. "But you have to sweet-talk them first."

"Okay… um… hey," Nagisa greeted her. "It's nice to meet you, miss."

_"Please let me go!"_

_Maybe I can make a joke!_

"I'll let you go… to hell!" The shadow burst out laughing.

_"Oh, that was cheesy… but I guess I say cheesy stuff like that all the time. Maybe we're more alike than I thought…"_

Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

_"I remember now… I don't just belong to Yanigasawa. I belong to all of humanity! My name is Pixie!"_ She smiled at Nagisa. _"Please, let me help you on your journey!"_

She transformed into a mask just like the one on Nagisa and floated towards him, latching onto his face. He could feel her power adding to what he already had… and that he could use her like he used Arséne! A second Persona!

"What… what just happened…?" Koro-sensei asked.

"You mean you don't know?" Karma gasped.

"I've never heard of anyone using multiple Persona's before… this is odd."

"This whole situation is odd."

"To you, maybe, Karma my boy."

Outside the Palace, Karma and Nagisa returned to the real world, leaving Koro-sensei behind. Once back to where they belonged, they knew they'd be going back. After all, they had to steal the Treasure… and expose Yanigasawa for the bastard he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's chapter three.
> 
> If you're wondering why I'm skipping most of the combat, it's because the combat is incredibly repetitive.
> 
> And to my Fanfiction readers, remember: if you leave a review, I will reply to it when I feel like I have enough to warrant it! AO3, I'll just use the reply system.
> 
> So long and thanks for all the fish!


	4. A Beautiful Rose Has Thorns

Kaede sighed as she exited the classroom during lunch.

Poor Yukiko had been worked so hard lately by Yanigasawa and it had taken a while for Kaede to convince her to meet with her. Today was that day and Yukiko was waiting in the courtyard, sitting on a bench with a brace on her right knee. Kaede was immediately worried by the fact that there were also bruises visible in some places on Yukiko's body.

"Yukiko, hi," she greeted her, sitting down on the bench. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry." Kaede sighed again.

"Those bruises… and the brace… are you sure?"

"They're… just from practice, I swear. I have to work hard to keep my starting position on the team, after all. We all have to in order to make nationals again."

"Listen, I want you to take care of yourself. You're my best friend and I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Yukiko bit her lip. Suddenly, Kaede's phone went off.

"Shouldn't you get that?" Yukiko asked.

"It's probably just my part-time job. Nothing to worry about since you're more important." Kaede grinned. "So, how about you and I get together this weekend to help you relax? I'll rent some movies and we can have a sleepover like we used to."

"That sounds nice. I'm looking forward to it."

"I'll see you later, okay? I have to go back to class."

"Bye."

Kaede walked away and once she was out of Yukiko's line of sight, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked her messages. All of them were from Yanigasawa asking to meet up.

_Yukiko… I'm sorry…_

* * *

The following day was the volleyball rally—teachers versus students.

Nagisa and Karma had been spending their afternoons inside Yanigasawa's Palace with Koro-sensei. They'd discovered that rumors of Yanigasawa abusing students, especially members of the volleyball team, were true and it was very alarming. Asking around earlier in the day hadn't yielded any real-world results, though, and now they were stuck in the gym watching their target annihilate the students in what was supposed to be a just-for-fun event. Karma sighed as the ball rolled by him and he tossed it back to a nearby player. He then turned to Nagisa with an extremely bored expression on his face as he jabbed a thumb towards Yanigasawa.

"Look at him. Acting like he's hot shit."

"We'll figure this out."

"Easy for you to say. We need someone who's willing to talk to us."

"LOOK OUT!"

They both snapped their heads back towards the game just in time to see a boy named Isogai—a member of the volleyball team who was frequently injured—get hit in the face with Yanigasawa's famous 'kill shot'. He went down fast and his teammates rushed over to help him up. Yanigasawa himself hesitated before he ducked under the net, heading over.

"Take him to the nurse's office," he encouraged. "You'll be back on your feet before long, Isogai."

"Well…" Karma suddenly had a devilish look in his eye that made Nagisa regret listening. "I think we just found our piggy who's going to squeal."

"Have I mentioned you terrify me sometimes?"

"I've been told as much. C'mon. Let's look around some more."

Outside the gym they split up to cover more ground. Most of the students were unwilling to talk to either of them—Karma because of his known background and Nagisa because of his reputation. Neither of them got anywhere until Nagisa ran into Isogai.

"Please, you have to know something," Nagisa insisted. "We want to make it all stop. Just tell us and we'll—"

"It won't work," Isogai finally replied.

"What?"

"What you're trying to do—it won't work. Teachers, the principal, our parents… they all know and they keep quiet."

"But it's wrong."

"There's nothing you can do. Just forget about it."

Nagisa's heart dropped like a stone.

_Nothing I can do…?_

_No. I can do something._

He walked away and bumped into a girl he recognized from the volleyball team named Yukiko Kanzaki. She looked apologetic but he could see the bruises and the brace she wore. Obviously, she'd been on the receiving end of Yanigasawa's abuse frequently.

"Sorry…" she mumbled.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"You look like you've been through hell." She stared at the floor and he decided to drop it; she really didn't want to talk.

"…you're the new transfer student, right? The one all the rumors are about?"

"Yeah. I am."

"Well, I've just been wanting to tell you not to let the rumors get to you."

"I haven't."

"Good. My best friend is often misunderstood, too, because she's pretty and talented. She has a lot of rumors about her and almost none of them are true."

"Hey, watch out for yourself and for her, okay?"

"O-okay."

Nagisa headed out to the courtyard, where Karma was waiting and looking genuinely frustrated. The pigtailed boy let out a sigh as he approached.

"Any luck?"

"Is that what it looks like?"

"No. It seems like you had the same amount of luck that I did. But maybe I got a little more."

"How so?"

"This guy, Isogai—he said it wouldn't work. That everyone knows and they keep quiet. That's why we can't find any witnesses."

"I finally found you!"

The two looked around but couldn't find the source of the voice.

"You know, you two make it very difficult to track you down."

Finally, they spotted a golden-colored cat with a black collar. A tag with a crescent moon was on the collar, a crescent that was very familiar to the two who had spent time with an octopus in the Metaverse who wore a tie with the same symbol.

"Koro-sensei?" gasped Nagisa.

"Is that really you?" inquired Karma.

"Yeah. When I slipped out of the Metaverse, this was the form I took. Terrible, isn't it?"

"Um…" Karma blinked.

"Anyway, I heard you two saying something about witnesses?"

"What do you know about that?!" Karma asked, his voice rising.

"Shush! Keep your voice down!"

"Why do we have to spend our time looking for a damn cat?!" they heard a teacher ask.

"Just find it. Principal's orders."

"Wait, so while everyone else hears a cat, we hear you talking?" Nagisa surmised.

"Correct!" Koro-sensei looked as pleased as a cat could. "But it seems like you're having a bit of trouble finding your evidence."

"Nobody would believe us."

"Yes. Which is why we must do what we can to change his heart."

"How would we do that?" Karma snorted.

"Like I told you."

"Yeah, about that—I've been thinking. Wouldn't that trigger a mental shutdown like the kind that have been all over the news?"

"It's possible. But if you really want to stop him we may not have a choice. Go home and get some rest. We'll discuss it more tomorrow."

"All right."

* * *

As Nagisa stepped off the train into Shibuya Station, he spotted Kaede Kayano through the crowd. She was answering her phone.

"I'm… I'm sorry, I can't today. I'm not feeling well."

He stopped to listen in.

"What? That's not what you promised!" She gasped. "This has nothing to do with Yukiko! Leave her out of this! And you call yourself a teacher?!"

_A teacher… Yanigasawa?_

Kaede stared at her phone. Evidently the other person had hung up. Her face crumpled and she curled into a ball as she crouched on the floor.

"Yukiko's… starting position…"

"Hey, are you okay?" She snapped her head up to look at him, leaping to her feet.

"Were you listening in…?!"

"I was. Sorry, but… you seemed stressed out."

"Haven't you heard of privacy?! I… I have to go." Kaede turned and started running. Nagisa knew she needed somebody to talk to, but he was also worried about her doing something drastic. So he started running after her. She'd stopped by a support pillar in the accessway to catch her breath.

"Kayano. Please, let me help. You… you were talking to Yanigasawa, weren't you."

"I was." She sighed in surrender. "Let's go somewhere else."

'Somewhere else' turned out to mean the Big Bang Burger on Central Street, where Nagisa paid for a cup of coffee for each of them. Kaede just sat there for a minute, staring into the cup while he let her gather her thoughts in silence. Finally, she let out a sigh and looked up.

"So… you know that I was talking to Yanigasawa. What do you want?"

"What?"

"What do you want from me?"

"I want to know if you're okay. You're freaked out about something and Yanigasawa is the reason behind it."

"No money, then… fine." She took a deep breath. "You've probably heard the rumors about me and him, right? That we're… together. Well, they're not true. I work part-time as an actress, which is how I got his attention."

"Not your fault."

"This year, he asked me to do… things. And he offered to give my best friend Yukiko a starting position on the volleyball team if I would do them. Honestly, Yukiko's the only thing keeping me at Kunugigaoka High. I hate the school. All rumors and people judging…"

"I understand."

"You would. People talk about you, too, how you're a terrible person…"

"Do you think that's true?"

"No. It's all lies. I feel like I can trust you, like you get what I'm going through. Everyone judging you when they don't even know what you're like."

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

Kaede smiled and Nagisa could feel a bond forming.

* * *

At the school, Yukiko was preparing to head home from practice. She checked her phone; no messages from Kaede. Chances were that she was busy.

"Um… Kanzaki?"

She turned to see Isogai.

"Mr. Yanigasawa wants to see you. In his office." Yukiko took a deep breath. "As soon as you can, if possible."

"All right…"

Isogai walked away and Yukiko checked her phone again.

_It's for Kaede. He wants her to… to…_

_I have to help her. I have to keep her safe._

_I'm sorry, Kaede…_

* * *

Nagisa tuned out the teacher slightly in class as he went over the three branches of Japanese government. It was all boring junk that he'd heard before.

_"Have you considered it yet?"_

His eyes snapped down to the inside of his desk, where Koro-sensei was hiding.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Hey, what's that?" a student on the other side of the room said.

"Get back in your seat!" the teacher snapped.

"Omigod, she's going to jump!" a girl screeched.

"Kanzaki?!" gasped Isogai, making Kaede leap to her feet.

Everyone rushed out of the classroom and Nagisa followed, looking out the window. He felt his heart drop as he caught sight of Yukiko Kanzaki standing on the roof. She fell forward and he swore he could hear the _thump_ as she landed on the ground. Kaede screamed and ran past Nagisa, slamming into his shoulder but not letting it stop her path to the courtyard. He followed her and met with Karma on his way.

There, in the courtyard, an ambulance arrived. Kaede crouched by her friend.

"Yukiko…"

"Kaede… I'm sorry…" Yukiko's voice was breaking. She said something else, but Nagisa couldn't hear her over everyone talking. He did, however, hear Kaede's response.

"Yanigasawa?!"

Yukiko lost consciousness and Kaede went with her in the ambulance. As it left, Isogai backed away before quickly running off. Karma and Nagisa didn't fail to notice and followed him to the locker room, where they cornered the timid young man.

"Tell us what the hell's going on!" demanded Karma.

"I… I… can't."

"She _tried to kill herself!_"

"…you guys were right, about the abuse. Whenever Yanigasawa was in a bad mood, he'd call one of us to his office and hit us. Me and Kanzaki are two of his favorite targets, but yesterday he called her up to his office out of the blue. She didn't even make any mistakes or anything. He was in a worse mood than usual. I can only imagine what he did to her…"

The realization of what had happened to Yukiko hit Karma and Nagisa at the same time and Karma let out a growl.

"That son of a _bitch_!"

Before Nagisa could stop him, Karma ran out of the locker room. Isogai and Nagisa were hot on his heels as the redhead burst into the coach's office. Yanigasawa was sitting at his desk, going over some paperwork and looked annoyed at the interruption. That annoyance doubled when he saw who had burst in. He sighed as he set down the papers and faced Karma. No doubt he hoped this would be done and over with soon so he could go back to planning whatever it was he was planning.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"The hell did you do to that girl?!" Karma's normally too-cool-to-care attitude had evaporated in favor of genuine anger.

"What are you talking about?"

"_Don't_ play dumb with me!" He kicked over a nearby chair. "She tried to kill herself because of you!

"Hmph. So what? We just got a call from the hospital. Miss Kanzaki is in a coma and it's unlikely she'll recover. Now how would somebody like that make a statement?"

"YOU BASTARD!" Karma moved to punch the teacher but Nagisa grabbed his wrist.

"No, he's not worth it."

"Oh, you're stopping him. Not what I expected. And you, Isogai… I'm surprised you're with them."

"You ordered me to call Kanzaki here… how could you do that to her?!"

"Big talk coming from you. After all, aren't _you_ the one who leaked his criminal record?"

Nagisa and Karma looked at Isogai in shock.

"I only did it because you made me!"

"Ugh. I'm sick of this. Get out of my sight, all of you. You're expelled."

All three stared at him in shock.

"Didn't you hear me? You're _expelled_. That includes you, Isogai; you threatened me, too."

The three boys were shoved out of the office and Isogai stumbled as he ran to get away. Karma looked to Nagisa and they headed down to the courtyard, where the former leaned against a vending machine.

"We can't let him get away with this."

"Have you made your decision, then?" asked Koro-sensei, sitting on the table.

"Yeah. I don't care. He needs to pay!"

"Nobody's allowed to act like this," agreed Nagisa, nodding. "So we know what we need to do."

"Are you talking about Yanigasawa?"

The boys turned to see Kaede.

"What do you care?" Karma snapped.

"If you're planning something, then let me in on it, too. He shouldn't get away with what he did to Yukiko!"

"Listen, we have a plan and you're not involved. You'll only get in our way."

* * *

She watched outside the school as the two boys met. The transfer student pulled out his phone and tapped on something on the screen. Around her, the world began to ripple and twist and distort into something different. By the time it finished, she realized that they were in front of a castle of some kind and that it wasn't just their surroundings that had changed; the transfer student and Karma had, too. They looked so cool and wore masks and standing right beside them was a weird-looking yellow octopus thing.

"I _knew it_!" she snapped. "What is this place?"

"How did…?" muttered Karma.

"She must've gotten pulled in," the octopus sighed. "You two have to be more careful when you activate it!"

"W-why is the octopus talking?!" gasped Kaede.

"Ugh, we don't have time for this!" pointed out Nagisa, speaking up. "Sorry, Kaede, but we can't explain all this right now. You have to leave. I'll show you how."

He took her by the arm and led her to a place where she could exit the odd world she'd found herself in. Before she knew what had happened, she was back in the alley where she'd been sucked into the world.

"How _rude_." She huffed and crossed her arm. In her pocket, her phone made an odd sound. "Hm?"

Pulling it out, she discovered an odd-looking app with the symbol of an eye on it. Tapping it revealed a search… and a history. 'Yanigasawa', 'Kunugigaoka Academy', and 'castle'. Upon clicking on that, she found herself back at the castle entrance where she'd seen the others. They were nowhere to be found now, obviously somewhere else.

"Well, only thing to do is explore…"

Walking around proved to be ineffective. The place was a maze full of locked doors and passageways, and guards patrolled the hallways. She managed to avoid them until she reached a hallway full of armor. It was so realistic that she just had to touch it. That was when the guards caught up with her and shockingly enough, called her a princess. Next thing she knew, she was strapped to some kind of device that caused her limbs to form an 'X'. And Yanigasawa emerged from the shadows wearing a glittery pink king's cape and a pink thong… and nothing else, she noted with disgust.

_"Ugh. Another intruder? You barely manage to keep up with the three we already have!"_

_"But sire,"_ one of the guards protested, _"it was the princess!"_

To her complete and utter shock, a near-identical Kaede—wearing a pink leopard-print bikini and a tiara with a pair of matching cat ears attached—sidled up beside Yanigasawa.

_"How could you mistake that commoner for _ _ **my** _ _ Kaede?"_

"You sick _bastard_!"

_"Oh, and now she's insulted me. What should I do, my darling?"_

_"Talking back is like, totally unforgivable."_

The bastard smirked.

_"Well, then, she must be executed. Maybe I'll start with her clothes…"_

"DAMMIT, KAYANO!"

She snapped her head to the side to see Nagisa, Karma, and the octopus in the doorway. Yanigasawa had taken a sword from one of the guards and used it to cut her shirt open slightly, but now he looked annoyed at the interruption.

"Run!" she called. "I… I can't…"

She was powerless. Yanigasawa had taken Yukiko away, and now he had her. There was no way for her to escape her binds and she was trapped. How could she get out of here?

"Are you just going to give up?"

It was Nagisa.

"Are you going to let him win? What about Yukiko?"

Something stirred in her chest at his words. He was absolutely right. She couldn't just sit back and let this asshole win, not when he'd done what he did to her best friend.

"…you're right. Letting this piece of shit toy with me… what was I thinking?"

_"It's like I always say: slaves should just sit down and—"_

"SHUT UP!" Yanigasawa stared at her. "After what you did… and this… you've pissed me off, you son of a bitch! I will _never_ let you touch me again!"

Her head throbbed as ringing began in her ears.

_"My… It's taken far too long."_

_Who… who are you?_

_"Tell me, who is going to avenge her if you won't? Forgiving him was never the option."_

_Right!_

_"Such is the scream of the 'other you' which dwells within."_

Kaede writhed and screamed in pain as the throbbing continued.

_"I am thou, thou art I… we can finally forge a contract."_

"I hear you… Carmen," whispered the green-haired girl as a red cat-like mask appeared on her face. "You're right. No more holding back."

_"There you go."_ The restraints snapped, freeing Kaede. _"Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength."_

Kaede ripped off her mask and fire erupted from her body. As it faded, a woman wearing a low-cut red dress with her hair in pigtails appeared behind her. The woman had men chained to her, one planted firmly under her foot as Kaede let out a yell and grabbed the sword from Yanigasawa. She used it to slice the fake Kaede in half and turned to face her tormentor.

"I'm not some cheap toy for you to play with!"

Her uniform had turned into a red leather bodysuit with a tail attached at the back.

"Get it? It's payback time!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Kaede has joined the ranks!
> 
> I promise we won't get to Sugino for quite a while. In the meantime, let's just enjoy this story, okay?
> 
> So long and thanks for all the fish!


End file.
